Hollywood's Reliance on Sequels Makes for a Pallid Picture

Hollywood is having a problem with numbers. To get lucrative sequels, studios have to score with original hits, but this summer the biggest movies have titles that end in a 2 or 3.

Even more than in recent years, audiences haven't bought into original concepts despite record-setting efforts to offer big-budget features that generate healthy international ticket sales—and, down the road, ready-made sequels.